Paying for women when you go out! How often?

[Hogg]

Well, tell her to get on the ball and empty out her house! Snap to it, woman!

If you dont mind me asking, what does the Ms. do?

We are keeping the house and taking one of the occupants as a dependent. ....it will be a nice write off on our joint return.

The little woman was in a mediocre IT position. She has just accepted a managerial position at a satellite office so her income will increase.

A little mortgage, momma as a dependant, Hogg's soon-to-be-formed consulting business, marriage....hah! I will be much less bitter about taxes next year

 

[Bob Smith]

So then whens the big day for you to finally ask her??

 

[Hogg]

So then whens the big day for you to finally ask her??

Errr. as soon as I find a good temporary ring....I was thinking one of those glow-in-the-dark things but whenever something catches my eye, I'll buy it and ask her.

She knows how I feel about diamonds so I told her I would give her a budget to buy a nice 1 carat piece but she has to get it constructed. Once we do the whole process of will you, i will, then we'll get her engagement ring constructed. She certainly wont look like a pauper with the budget I have given her but to make me figure it out and then possibly not get exactly what she wants while I am spending my money is adding insult to injury.

 

[Bob Smith]

Is she dead-set on a diamond? Personally, I think they are way overrated in terms of jewels and also for engagement rings. IMO, about 99% of all diamond engagement rings look exactly the same. A pink or yellow diamond on the other hand....is way to much $$$.

Buy a box of Cracker Jack and see if you get a ring in there. Or a mood ring.

 

[oldtimer]

My lady bought me lunch only once (well, i'm the one who puts money in her bank account but it was a cool thing nevertheless).

Been paying for everything (house, food, clothes, her college books etc.) since we got married, heck, i even paid for her wedding dress and jewelery !

-OT

 

[crewboss]

my wallet is always open, i usually pay for everything. my old man always picked up the check for my mom and everyone else, so I guess that's where I normally default. If she wants to pay I'm all for that too, but my hand is always on the wallet. Chivelry is not dead as long as I'm getting laid.

 

[Hogg]

Is she dead-set on a diamond? Personally, I think they are way overrated in terms of jewels and also for engagement rings. IMO, about 99% of all diamond engagement rings look exactly the same. A pink or yellow diamond on the other hand....is way to much $$$.

Buy a box of Cracker Jack and see if you get a ring in there. Or a mood ring.

It is a piss poor place to put cash and offers little benefit to either of us however, it is a staple of marriage and I will not deprive her of it.

 

[Bob Smith]

Dude, diamonds suck. No offense to anyone who's wife has a diamond engagement ring, but it looks exactly like everyone elses. There is no uniqueness to it.

I would mention my preferences here, but Id rather not give Jewel anymore info than is absolutely necessary. Hogg, Id be more than happy to share some of my thoughts through PM if youd like. Maybe show you some things that arent common (considering diamonds dominance - thank you De Beers) but still incredibly striking.

 

[dolfe1]

]Dude, diamonds suck. No offense to anyone who's wife has a diamond engagement ring, but it looks exactly like everyone elses. There is no uniqueness to it[/B].

I would mention my preferences here, but Id rather not give Jewel anymore info than is absolutely necessary. Hogg, Id be more than happy to share some of my thoughts through PM if youd like. Maybe show you some things that arent common (considering diamonds dominance - thank you De Beers) but still incredibly striking.

I believe it's more than just the appearance that counts.

 

[Bob Smith]

Right, chicks always say "oh, the ring isnt whats important." The yare lying and we all know it. A diamond has been the traditional American symbol of marriage. That is not so for non-US nations, including much of Europe. It really is a symbol that has been pushed and contrived by the diamond cartel.

 

[Hogg]

I believe it's more than just the appearance that counts.

It is, it means that you cared enough about the woman to waste money on a piece of cut glass so that she will not be fucked with by all the other hens. Seriously, that is why I am doing it....I know how women are....especially sisters, sister-in-laws, co-workers....people are cruel, and if I let my own personal monetary policy govern this decision, she will take grief for it. Bear in mind, I also have 8 carats of old portuguese diamonds locked up in a safe deposit box back east.....now one might think "Eureka, there is the solution!" but the reality is, a diamond that is inherited does not carry the same message as a diamond that is purchased out of my earnings...its really a bunch of shit....honestly, I'd just assume buy her a couple of 'B' shares of Berkshire Hathaway ....but this ring is like a rite of passage for a woman and I have to do it for her.

So I will sell the 8 carats and buy myself some BRKb shares instead

 

[Hogg]

Right, chicks always say "oh, the ring isnt whats important." The yare lying and we all know it. A diamond has been the traditional American symbol of marriage. That is not so for non-US nations, including much of Europe. It really is a symbol that has been pushed and contrived by the diamond cartel.

Yes, much like the wedding ceremony and all the bullshit that goes along with it....it is not uncommon to see people blow 20K on getting married....what a waste.

 

[Bob Smith]

LOL, gotta love the BRKb analogy!

Here is the most important part of a "History of Engagment Rings" article. The rest is pretty interesting, but this sums it up....

Throughout history, diamond engagement rings did enjoy popularity among those who were wealthy and those who were royalty. Many sources mention that Archduke Maximillian of Hamburg and Mary of Burgandy made the wearing of diamond engagement rings popular in 1477. It is highly doubtful that Maximillian and Mary started the trend of diamond engagement rings, though it is possible they started the trend among the wealthy or those who were royalty. After all, they were rather expensive and could not become common if the "common-folk" could not afford them. A true trend involves more than just a small section of the society and this is why I find the possibility highly doubtful. As a matter of fact, diamond engagement rings were not to become "traditional" until hundreds of years later.


The De Beers Consolidated Mines, Ltd. was created in 1888 in order to protect the investment of diamond mine investors. A new mine was discovered in South Africa in 1870. Since only a small amount of diamonds had been found prior to this, the discovery flooded the market and cut into the profits of investors. The De Beers Consolidated Mines, Ltd. was created in order to regain control of the supply of diamonds. After they gained control of the supply, they then needed to control the demand for diamonds.

This attempt began when Harry Oppenheimer (son of the De Beers founder) visited New York in order to meet with Gerold M. Lauck. Gerold was the president of N.W. Ayer, which was a leading advertising agency at the time. You see, diamond sales had declined since 1919 by 50%, and something had to be done to increase the demand for them.

The year of the advertising campaign was 1939. That's right, the tradition of diamonds as THE engagement ring...as the only correct option, started slightly over 60 years ago and was the main result of an advertising campaign. While the diamond did enjoy periods of popularity in times prior to this (Victorian era for example), this was the factor that made the diamond engagement ring the ONLY choice that was acceptable. You don't have to take my word for it though. Feel free to research on your own.

The reason that I decided to delve into the history of engagment rings is quite simple. I have a collection of old engagement and wedding photographs that range in age from the Victorian era to the 1940's. The majority of the photographs show no ring or a ring that is obviously not a diamond. In most cases, all that you see is a simple gold band with no stones on it. That's what actually inspired this article. I found it a bit odd that there were so few diamonds, so delved into researching the subject. This article shows the results, and I hope you've enjoyed reading it!

 

[dolfe1]

Right, chicks always say "oh, the ring isnt whats important." The yare lying and we all know it. A diamond has been the traditional American symbol of marriage. That is not so for non-US nations, including much of Europe. It really is a symbol that has been pushed and contrived by the diamond cartel.

diamond cartel lol

 

[Bob Smith]

diamond cartel lol

You think Im joking? There is no diamond shortage to keep prices as freakin high as they are. De Beers controls about 80% of the worlds diamond production. They pretty much control supply and prices. It is an artificially inflated product.

Hogg, I think a wedding ceremony has been tradition for ages and ages, maybe a few thousand years.

As for spending $20k on one, Im totally against it. Jewels parents will pay for most or all of the wedding and reception and all that good stuff. I think its a waste of their money to drop $15, 20, 25k on ONE FREAKIN DAY! Thats a damn expensive party for your friends. Im up for about a $5k deal and then if they want, her parents can give the rest of the money to us for a downpayment on a house or something like that. I just dont get it.

 

[Hogg]

As for spending $20k on one, Im totally against it. Jewels parents will pay for most or all of the wedding and reception and all that good stuff. I think its a waste of their money to drop $15, 20, 25k on ONE FREAKIN DAY! Thats a damn expensive party for your friends. Im up for about a $5k deal and then if they want, her parents can give the rest of the money to us for a downpayment on a house or something like that. I just dont get it.

I'm totally against it as well but there is not much I can do about it. Ms. Hogg's family has no money; the burden will be upon my shoulders and that of my parents. However, we will endeavor to keep cost to a minimum as my side of the tree is a fairly shrewd bunch.

 

[Bob Smith]

[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Another article:

From 1880 De Beers were able to control the supply (and price) of diamonds but how were they going to control demand during a period when sales began dropping dramatically (up to 50%) in the 20s and 30s onwards through the great depression? [/font] [font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Just as platinum started to become popular in diamond engagement rings, diamonds were becoming less valued. Platinum was banned for all but war use during WWII and so the platinum diamond engagement rings as we know them today almost died out. [/font]

[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif] The answer to the problem was a new marketing campaign commissioned by De Beers that began in 1947. Perhaps you've heard the slogan "A Diamond is forever"? This was to mark the beginning of a change in the history of the engagement ring. [/font]

[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Subsequent campaigns would convince families to hold on to their diamonds as family heirlooms... and it worked! Used diamonds were not being released back into the industry which in turn created the demand that De Beers were seeking. [/font]

[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Jewelers were unofficially educated by De Beers to instruct men that two to three months personal wages were an ideal price to pay for the diamond engagement ring that their prospective fiance's would gladly accept. [/font]

[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]In 1953 the world's two most glamorous women of the time Marilyn Monroe and Jane Russell were the stars of the hit film musical Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. [/font]

[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]The plot involves Monroe and Russell chasing potential husbands on a cruise to France. The movie also features a very famous song sung by the blonde bombshell Marilyn Monroe, Diamonds Are A Girls Best Friend. [/font]

[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]This film would have undoubtedly influenced public opinion at the time and will have advanced the the popularity of diamonds for years afterwards through Hollywood glamour. [/font]

[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif] The film is now 50 years old but it's still a firm favorite of all who love Hollywood and the legend of Monroe. (Of course there are others: High Society, Breakfast At Tiffanys, Diamonds Are Forever among them) [/font]

[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]This is where the tradition of the diamond engagement ring really started, all from an advertising campaign that literally "rocked" the world! (Get it? "rocked".... okay I'll shut up!) So you see buying a diamond engagement ring isn't really a popular ancient tradition. [/font]

[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif] It's more a combination of "dreaming of being a princess", a clever marketing campaign and compelling Hollywood glamour that ultimately promotes diamonds as the only jewels with which to furnish your loved one as a sign of engagement.[/font]

 

[dolfe1]

You think Im joking? There is no diamond shortage to keep prices as freakin high as they are. De Beers controls about 80% of the worlds diamond production. They pretty much control supply and prices. It is an artificially inflated product.

Hogg, I think a wedding ceremony has been tradition for ages and ages, maybe a few thousand years.

As for spending $20k on one, Im totally against it. Jewels parents will pay for most or all of the wedding and reception and all that good stuff. I think its a waste of their money to drop $15, 20, 25k on ONE FREAKIN DAY! Thats a damn expensive party for your friends. Im up for about a $5k deal and then if they want, her parents can give the rest of the money to us for a downpayment on a house or something like that. I just dont get it.

No I don't.

 

[Rod]

It is, it means that you cared enough about the woman to waste money on a piece of cut glass so that she will not be fucked with by all the other hens. Seriously, that is why I am doing it....I know how women are....especially sisters, sister-in-laws, co-workers....people are cruel, and if I let my own personal monetary policy govern this decision, she will take grief for it. Bear in mind, I also have 8 carats of old portuguese diamonds locked up in a safe deposit box back east.....now one might think "Eureka, there is the solution!" but the reality is, a diamond that is inherited does not carry the same message as a diamond that is purchased out of my earnings...its really a bunch of shit....honestly, I'd just assume buy her a couple of 'B' shares of Berkshire Hathaway ....but this ring is like a rite of passage for a woman and I have to do it for her.

So I will sell the 8 carats and buy myself some BRKb shares instead

Hogg, that is one of the funniest posts that I have ever read.

 

[Hogg]

Hogg, that is one of the funniest posts that I have ever read.

How so? Because I am bending over willingly?